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The Dodge Viper had four long generations spanning from 1992-2010. There were actually no 2010 models, only extended 2009 models, and 2011 saw zero production Vipers at all. Dodge is planning on picking up the Viper once again in 2012 with a fresh look and feel. The Viper came in two different trims: the SRT10 and the ACR. The 8.4L V10 powered Viper delivered 600 HP and 560 lb-ft of torque, and was mated to a six-speed manual transmission. The 0-60mph sprint was done in fewer than four seconds, while the quarter mile came in at 11 seconds. Careful with this one though, it doesn’t come with electronic stability control. Next generation Viper may once again race in Le Mans 
There are times in our lives when all we need is a quick timeout in order to get our stuff together and have the ability to move forward. The Dodge Viper is doing just that and when it makes its grand return, it may extend further than the general market. Chrysler is currently weighing its options to decide if the next generation Dodge Viper should return to the LeMans series. The original Viper GTS-R was unveiled by Chrysler at the 1995 Pebble Beach Concours and managed to secure the number one position in many events, including the 1998, 1999, and 2000 24 Hours of Le Mans series, as well as many championships in the FIA GT Championship and a couple in the American LeMans series. With such a high rate of success, it seems crazy for Chrysler to not partake in these same events with its bigger and better Viper and we don’t think we’ll have to question their sanity for long. The company has already begun the process for building a race-spec version of the next generation Viper for the LeMans series. The new model will be prepared by Riley Technologies, which has produced the title-winning Grand-Am chassis for the past eight years. Once complete, the racing Viper will have to take on models like the Chevrolet Corvette C6.R, the BMW M3 GT2, and the Ferrari 458 GTC. Chrysler’s motorsport manager Gary Johnson said: "We are investigating some things and seeing what is out there, although no decision has been made yet. We have to be very careful about what we do." 2000 Chrysler PT Cruiser with Viper RT/10 engine
The Chrysler PT Cruiser is – or should we say, was – a car that you would never mistake for being a powerhouse. Retro-looking, sure. Snorting horsepower? Hardly. The only way you could give the PT Cruiser some street rep is to take out its four-cylinder mechanical guts and place something akin to a Dodge Viper’s powerhouse V10 in it, which, fortunately, is exactly what someone did to their beloved, little hatch. The result is a vehicle that epitomizes substance over style. On the outside, the first thing you’ll notice is the fact that this PT Cruiser was turned into a pick-up, which is weird enough on its own considering the retro hatch’s unmistakable profile. So without the rear doors and a hatch that has since been replaced with a pick-up bed, the PT Cruiser’s new profile lends itself a curious look. That is until you pop open the hood. Where a 2.4-liter four-cylinder, naturally aspirated engine that produces 150 horsepower and 165 lb-ft of torque once resided is now an old 8.0-liter V10 engine that produces 500 horsepower to go with the Viper’s six-speed transmission, rear suspension, and steering rack. The car is said to have been built some years back, but given it’s uniqueness and downright peculiarity – not to mention the insane power under its hood – it’s still something that will catch your attention. Now is it enough to warrant a bid on eBay for more than the $13,100 price tag currently on display? We say absolutely only because something this weird with that much horsepower is bound to make anyone stand out in a crowd. 2008 - 2010 Dodge Viper SRT10 ACRDodge unveiled the fourth generation Viper SRT10 ACR a the Los Angeles Auto Show in 2007, bringing what would essentially be the last model presented before a whole new breed of Viper comes out in 2012. The Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR is a 600 hp street-legal Viper engineered to dominate on the race track and also provide for an exciting trip back home. The Viper went on sale in the second quarter of 2008 at a price of no less than $100,000. "With the all-new 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR, SRT has taken the ultimate American sports car and injected it with an extra dose of racing DNA," said Mike Accavitti, Director - Dodge Brand and SRT Global Marketing and Communications, Chrysler LLC. "With the Viper SRT10 as the starting point, SRT engineered a combination of reduced weight, race-tuned suspension and aerodynamic improvements to create the ultimate Viper for the street and track." UPDATE 09/15/2011: Put back the champagne in the freezer, Lexus; you’re just-set record lap time of 7:14 around the Nurburgring has been broken. Chrysler’s SRT team went to the ’Ring with only one thing in mind: get under 7:14 in one lap. And just as records are always meant to be broken regardless of how fresh they are, Chrysler’s Dodge Viper ACR blasted around the Nurburgring in a blistering time of 7:12. The exact time has yet to be released - there are tenths of seconds in that equation - but make no mistake, it’s more than a second faster than the 7:14.6 time the Lexus LF-A Nurburgring Package achieved earlier this month. More details on the Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR after the jump. Full story 2011 Zagato TZ3 Stradale
The XII Villa D’Este Concours d’Elegance which took place in April 2010 gave way for Andrea Zagato to present the first step of his "Project TZ" with the 2010 Alfa Romeo TZ3 Corsa. This project was set in motion to honor 100 years of production and the long tradition of race Alfas with Zagato bodies. Fast forward to this year’s Pebble Beach Concours and Zagato is back with the second step of the "TZ Project", the Zagato TZ3 Stradale. The Stradale will be based on a 2010 Dodge Viper by utilizing its rolling chassis, engine, gearbox, suspension, etc. It is completely road legal, but will never get to see the production block. The original TZ3 Corsa was originally built for German Alfa Romeo Zagato collector Martin Kapp while he was attending the Zandvoort Tribute. The Stradale is in no way related to the Corsa, except for the fact that they are both part of the "TZ Project." The TZ3 Stradale features a carbon fiber body with the same dimensions and weight of the Dodge Viper. It will be powered by a 4.2 liter V8 engine. Before the car’s official debut at the Villa D’Este, Zagato has revealed the first details on the TZ3 Stradale, a vehicle that will be limited to only 9 units worldwide. UPDATE 04/28/2011: This review has been updated with the official images and details. Hit the jump for the full details. UPDATE 05/02/2011: The first video of the TZ3 Stradale has been released onto the internet featuring a small test drive of the latest Zagato model. Hit the jump for the video. Full story Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR sets production car lap record at Miller Motorsports Park
This may be the last year for the fourth generation Dodge Viper, but it will surely be remembered for quite some time after the productive day it had at the track. A 2010 Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR (American Club Racer) has made history once again by completing a record lap of 1:59.995 at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah, on Monday, April 11, 2011. Kuno Wittmer was behind the wheel of the street legal 2010 Dodge Viper ACR as it broke the 2-minute mark for the first time in a production car on the 3.048-mile Outer Course configuration. The previous record was held by a Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 with a time of 2:03.86. "It’s amazing to come to this world-class track and shatter the production car lap record by almost 4 seconds," said Bryan Viger, Head of Dodge Motorsports. "We brought our street-legal Viper ACR to see what Kuno could do behind the wheel, and on his second lap he’d already gone faster than the single lap record." Truth Be Told! 2008 Dodge Viper ACR has a claim for the fastest lap time in the NurburgringThe Nurburgring is the unquestioned king of all race tracks in the world, home to not just the most prestigious races in the racing circuit, but also commercial cars looking to test their wares against the competition. You know all that talk about the ‘Nurburgring Lap’? That’s a very critical piece of information for automakers far and wide to determine how their sports cars measure up against the competition. Over the years, there have been numerous claims to the lap record for a street-legal production vehicle through whatever loophole you can think of. While some cars are considered street-legal anywhere in the world, other models like the Pagani Zonda R, the Gumpert Apollo, the Ferrari 599XX, and the Ultima GTR don’t have that all-encompassing breadth of legality. They’re legal in some parts of the world and illegal in other parts and thus aren’t counted in the standings. As such, a lot of people have trouble putting those cars in the same league as the ‘street-legal-worldwide’ category – and rightfully so. So to sort out all the information and determine which street-legal car can truly stake claim for being the fastest of the lot in the ‘Ring, the Nurburgring track blog Bridge to Gantry decided to dig up the lap times and found that the real ‘King of the Ring’ is none other than the 2008 Dodge Viper ACR. The list is classified as the “Fastest Production Car Lap of the Nurburgring” with the Viper ACR actually ranking seventh with the four aforementioned supercars higher on the list together with the Donkervoort D8 270 RS and the Porsche 911 GT2 RS. Of all the cars ahead of the Viper ACR, only the Porsche GT2 RS could have a possible stake to the title, but according to the guys at BTG, the lack of video evidence is the only thing that’s keeping it from wrestling the crown of ‘King of the Ring’ from the Viper ACR. So how about it, Porsche? Let’s see that video! Ultimate Factories - Dodge ViperNext to Top Gear, National Geographic’s Ultimate Factories series is arguably one of our favorite shows on TV right now. Granted, it doesn’t show up on TV as often as we’d like, but when it does, we make sure that we have our bag of chips ready. On Thursday, the next episode of Ultimate Factories hits National Geographic, this time featuring one of the most iconic American sports cars in history, the Dodge Viper. As the only hand-built production car to ever come out of Detroit, the Dodge Viper holds esteem as a true American original. Behind the scenes at the Viper factory, the crew from National Geographic was able to take a close look at how the sports car is built with each model taking shape in a span of two-and-a-half days. The entire car is built with human hands, which makes it all the more special for customers who own a piece of it. The episode hits televisions this Thursday, but in the meantime, feel free to enjoy these teaser videos that Nat Geo was kind enough to share with us. Part two of Nat Geo’s Viper teaser can be found after the jump Full story 2011 Dodge Viper Cup Series
The Dodge Viper Cup series is returning for the 2011 season following its successful first year in 2010. The series will begin on May 13th-15th at the Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, Fla and will end on Oct. 21st-23rd at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona, Fla. It will consist of 10 races with each chosen race weekend hosting two races. In the end, the winner will receive a prize of $15,000, which is pretty good considering the entry fees only amount to $800. Celebrities can once again find their place in the Dodge Viper Cup Series with as many as two celebrities invited to each race weekend. These celebrities will be driving for charity as there will be guaranteed payouts to celebrity drivers following all 10 races. The highest finishing celebrity will get $2,000 and the next highest finishing celebrity will receive $1,000, with the donations being made to the celebrity’s charity of choice. "We’re going to keep building on that momentum in 2011 with an expanded contingency program, a reduction in entry fees and the continuation of our successful celebrity driver and charity payout programs to once again generate lots of serious excitement for all Viper enthusiasts." Press release after the jump. Full story Top Gear USA: Dodge Viper ACR-X ReviewTop Gear USA may have wrapped up the second episode of their very first season, but due to geographical ramifications, many may have missed their first review. In Episode One of Top Gear USA, the boys tested the most powerful Viper in the line-up: the ACR-X. In this video, you’ll see the USA’s version of the Stig as he whips the Viper around the new Top Gear USA track. The track is 1.6 miles long and consists of several turns as well as a few straightaways for optimal speed. As a reminder, the Viper ACR-X is powered by the same SRT developed 8.4 Liter V10 as the standard super car, except that a set of factory tuned headers and a less restrictive exhaust system give the ACR-X a 40 HP kick in the pants meaning that there is a total of 640 HP on tap. Combine that with a weight savings of 160 pounds, despite the addition of a roll cage, and you’ve got an even more challenging track ready machine. On the market, the ACR-X is priced at $110,000. Check out the video to see just how the Dodge Viper ACR-X did in the hands of the Stig when put up against the Top Gear USA test track. ViperVette marries two of America’s favorite sports cars into one unique machine
From the outside, the car takes the look of a Dodge Viper, but once you pop open the hood, you’d be surprised that there’s nothing Viper-ish about what you’re going to find. That’s because the Viper is just the body. What’s inside is actually a Chevrolet Corvette. Appropriately enough, it’s called the “ViperVette”. Catchy. Make no mistake though, the Corvette engine inside this Viper is no slouch. It’s got a 5.7-liter engine that’s mated to a four-speed manual gearbox, giving it enough performance so as not to shame the car out on the road. As for the car’s interior, the owner mixed in red and black leather seat covers on the upholstery as well as a nice load of features including tilt wheels, power trunk, power seats, and power mirrors. In the event that you’re fancying this car – can’t think of any reason why not – then you’re in luck. The car is actually for sale at a pretty reasonable price of just $12,250. There’s a catch, though. It’s got about 139,000 miles on the odometer. But hey, how often will you get the chance to own a piece of two iconic American sports cars in one flaming hot, red package?
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